New locations have been added for Milwaukee County residents to apply for energy assistance this winter.
The Milwaukee County Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) says the new locations were added to help serve individuals who live in far north and far south suburbs of Milwaukee County.
"With our two new locations, we are expanding our reach to help thousands more households in Milwaukee County apply for energy assistance," says DHHS Director Héctor Colón. "We are committed to providing better access to our services and creating greater awareness about our programs so that all who are eligible can know their options and can easily apply."
The new locations were part of the launch of the 2016-17 Wisconsin Home Energy Assistance Program (WHEAP) Season, which began Saturday. WHEAP provides qualified residents with a one-time annual payment to make both heating and electric bills more affordable.
Milwaukee County hopes to serve 70,000 households this season with energy assistance. The County says it hopes to increase awareness of the program to residents who may not even know they qualify.
"This year, we are using targeted approaches to reach the north and south suburbs, senior citizens, recent grads, new homeowners just starting out, and the average working person just trying to make ends meet, to let them know they could be eligible," said Diane Zettelmeier, Energy Assistance Program Coordinator for Milwaukee County.
